Improvement in automatic fire-kindlers



E. CSTELLU.

Automatic Fire-Kindlers. y N0,l55,]46, Patented Sept. 22,1874.

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UNITED STATES PATENT CEErcE.`

EDWARD J. COSTELLO, OF QUINOY, MASSACHUSETTS.

IMPROVEMENT IN AUTOMATIC FIRE-KINDLERS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 155,146, datedSeptember 22, 1874; application filed December 18, 1873.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EDWARD J. COSTELLO, of Quincy, in the county ofNorfolk, State of Massachusetts, have invented a certain new and usefulImprovement in Automatic Fire- Kindlers, of which the following is adescription sufficiently full, clear, and exact to enable any personskilled in the art or science to which my invention appertains to makeand use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawingforming a part of this specification, in Which- Figure l is a sideelevation of my improved automatic flre-kindler. Fig. 2 is a plan of thesame, and Fig. 3 a view of the spring.

Like letters refer to like parts in the different figures of thedrawing.

My invention relates to that .class of automatic lire-lighters which areoperated by clock- Work; and consists in a novel mechanism for holdingand striking the match, in combination with foraminous sheath orconductor for the train, all constructed and arranged as hereinaftermore fully set forth, the object being to provide a simple and effectivedevice for automatically striking a light or producing a fire at any xedtime desired.

In Fig. l, A is the frame-work, to which the mechanism is attached; B,the friction-wheel, provided with the roughened surface D; and C, afloating lever or click having a fulcrurn at J. K is theescapement-lever having a fulcrum at x, and provided with the spring c,arranged Linder its short arm. The escapementwheel L (shown in Fig. 2,and also by dotted lines in Fig. l) is connected with the center arborof an ordinary clock, or the arbor on which the hands are disposed, andis operated in the same manner of the alarm-escapement disk in analarm-clock. G is an arm or projection, to which the perforated tube ortrain 7 E is hinged at y. This tube is made eXtensible, being providedwith the sliding joint F. The wheel B is hollow or disk-shaped, and hasa notch, f, and a shoulder or tooth, a, which is pressed against the endof the lever C by the action of a coiled spring, R, Fig. 3, disposedwithin the wheel, one end of which spring is attached to the frame A,and the other to the key-arbor P. On the side of the wheel B there isalso a stud or projection, a', which strikes against the stop or stud b.

In Fig. 2, I is a rocking lever attached to the stud M by the fulcrum m,and provided with a spring, H, disposed between the lon g arm of thelever and stud, and acting eXpansively, thus forming a clamp by bringingthe short arm of said lever in contact with said stud M between thefulcruln m and frame A. The wheel B is eccentric in form, the distancefrom the center of the same to the point z being greater than thedistance to the point S, the distance from the periphery to the centergradually increasing from a, Where it is shortest, to z, where it isgreatest.

From the above description the operation of my invention will be readilyunderstood by all conversant with such matters, and is as follows:

A friction-match, d, being inserted in the clamp I, as shown in Fig. 1,the wheel L is attached to the arbor of the clock, and the spring 1t,Fig. 3, wound up by applying' a key to and turning the arbor l), Fig. 2,once around in the direction indicated by the arrow. On Withdrawing thekey, one end of the spring being fastened to the back or fralne A, andthe other to the arbor l?, on which the wheel B is secured, theexpansive action ofthe spring will tend to uncoil it, thus turning thearbor P, and also the wheel B attached to the same, backward, orreversing the movement had in windin g, and bringing the shoulder aforcibly against the end of the floating lever C. To admit of this, theWheel L must be turned or set in a position to elevate the long arm oflthe lever to such an extent as to throw the short arm out of contactwith the lever C. Now, as the clock runs down, and operates to revolvethewheel L in the direction of the a1'- row, Fig. 2, it will be seenthat when said wheel has been turned sufficiently to let the long arm ofthe lever K fall into the notch o, Fig. l, in said wheel, the spring cwill, by its expansive action on the short arm of said lever, force itupward against the lever O, and disengage it from the wheel B, thuspermitting said wheel to be rapidly revolved by its spring until thestud a comes into contact with the stop b, bringing the roughenedsurface D against the tip of the match d, which Will thus be ignited.

It Will be understood that the train or conductor E is to be inserted inthe stove, and properly connected with the kindlin gs or fuel therein,which it is desired to have red at a 'given time, and that a fuse madeof ordinary paper, or paper chemically prepared, must be inserted in theconductor E, one end of the paper being so placed that re Will becommunicated to it from the match, and the opposite end so arranged asto communicate fire to the fuel in the stove.

It Will be seen that as the Wheel B revolves, the roughened surface DWill be brought into contact with the match with a constantly-increasingpressure, and then suddenly withdrawn, leaving it free to burn, theaction on the match in that respect being very similar to what it iswhen lighted by hand.

The perforations in the tubular train E admit a sufficient quantity ofair to maintain combustion, While at the same time the tube prevents theame from being accidentally extinguished. A toggle-joint may be used aty to render the tube more adjustable, and any 4 required number ofjoints F may be used, as I have found that re may be communicated bythis means to almost any distance.

I do not confine myself in the use of the mechanism described tolighting fuel in stoves, as it can be applied to many other purposeswith equal advantage. The arbor I) can be easily connected With thestop-cock of a gasiixture in such a manner as to let on gas at any giventime, which may be lighted after the manner described for lighting orcommunicating tire to fuel. My device is also useful for explodingmines, firing artillery, and for many other purposes Which will readilysuggest themselves.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is v1. The trippingdiskL, having the shoulder 0, and the spring-lever escapement K, incombination with the arm J, leve-r C, and eccentric igniting-wheel B, asand for the purpose Set forth.

l2. The combination of disk B with matchclamp I, and perforatedconducting-tube E F, substantially in the manner and for the purposespecified.

EDWARD J. COSTELLO.

Witnesses:

O. A. SHAW, Y H. E. METCALF.

